Venom (2007 film)
Venom is a 2007 American superhero film based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Venom. It was directed by Sam Raimi from a screenplay by Raimi, his older brother Ivan, and Alvin Sargent. The film stars Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Thomas Haden Church, Topher Grace, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rosemary Harris, Cliff Robertson, J. K. Simmons, and James Cromwell. It is the highest grossing film ever made. Following the events of Spider-Man 2, Peter Parker has become a cultural phenomenon as Spider-Man, while Mary Jane Watson continues her Broadway career. Harry Osborn still seeks vengeance for his father's death, and an escaped Flint Marko falls into a particle accelerator and is transformed into a shape-shifting sand manipulator. An extraterrestrial symbiote crashes to Earth and bonds with Peter, making him feel more powerful than anyone else in the world until it bonds to a man named Eddie Brock. Plot One year after defeating Doctor Octopus, Peter Parker plans to propose to Mary Jane Watson, who has just made her Broadway musical debut. Later a meteorite lands at Central Park, and an extraterrestrial symbiote follows Peter to his apartment. Harry Osborn, seeking vengeance after his father's death, attacks Peter with weapons based on his father's Green Goblin technology. The battle ends with Harry crashing out and developing amnesia, wiping out his memory of Peter as Spider-Man. Meanwhile, police pursue escaped convict Flint Marko, who visits his wife and dying daughter before fleeing again, and falling into an experimental particle accelerator that fuses his body with the surrounding sand, transforming him into the Sandman, with powers to control sand and to deform at will. During a public festival honoring Spider-Man for saving Gwen Stacy's life, he kisses her, infuriating Mary Jane and Daily Bugle photographer Eddie Brock, who is dating Gwen. The super-powered Marko robs an armored car, and Spider-Man confronts him. Marko easily subdues Spider-Man, and escapes. NYPD Captain George Stacy (Gwen's father) informs Peter and Aunt May that Marko was Uncle Ben's true killer; the deceased Dennis Carradine was Marko's accomplice. As Peter sleeps in his Spider-Man suit and waiting for Marko, the symbiote assimilates his suit. Peter later awakens on top of a building, discovers his costume changed and his powers enhanced; making Peter feel addicted to the power. Wearing the new suit, Spider-Man locates Marko and battles him in a subway tunnel. Discovering that water is Marko's weakness, Spider-Man breaks a water pipe, causing water to reduce Marko into mud and washing him away. Peter's changed personality alienates Mary Jane, whose career is floundering, and she finds solace with Harry but leaves afterward in regret. Harry recovers from his amnesia and, urged by a hallucination of his father, blackmails Mary Jane into breaking up with Peter as the New Goblin. After Mary Jane tells Peter she loves "somebody else", Harry meets with Peter and claims to be "the other guy". Peter confronts Harry about forcing Mary Jane to end her relationship with him and spitefully tells Harry that his father never loved him. Another fight ensues, in which Harry throws a pumpkin bomb at Peter, who deflects it back, disfiguring Harry's face. Meanwhile, Peter exposes rival photographer Eddie Brock, who created photos depicting black suit Spider-Man as a criminal, and gets shot to fame. But, immediately Peter proves his plagiarism which results in their boss, J. Jonah Jameson, firing Brock, publishing an apology and rehiring Peter. The reason Brock did this was because he tried to get a shot of the black suit Spider-Man in action only for the black suit Spider-Man to smash his camera since Peter didn't want Eddie to get any photos of him. The reason Peter didn't want Eddie to get any photos of him as Spiderman was to reduce Eddie's pay. Eddie then remembered when he wasr aised in a Roman Catholic household in San Francisco. Eddie's mother died from complications during his birth and as a result his father is cold and unaffectionate towards him. Eddie excelled in academics and sports in an attempt to earn his father's approval but did not succeed. In college, Brock switched his major from computer science to journalism after reading an article on the Watergate scandal. After graduating, he moved to New York City and obtained a job as a journalist for the Daily Bugle. Though he proved himself to be a highly-talented journalist, his father still only treats him with indifference. Eddie's father then stopped talking to him as a result of Eddie being fired. Later, to make Mary Jane jealous, Peter brings Gwen to a nightclub, where Mary Jane now works. Eddie becomes depressed after seeing Gwen with Peter. Realizing this, Gwen leaves the nightclub, and, after he accidentally attacks Mary Jane, Peter realizes how his overconfidence will result in his failure and opts to remove the symbiote despite the symbiote wanting to remain with him. Retreating to a bell tower of a church, Peter rings the bell to weaken and remove the symbiote, which falls below to the lower tower and bonds with Brock, who in turn, praying for Peter's death, is transformed into Venom. After killing Aunt May and kidnapping Mary Jane, Brock locates Harry and Marko to convince them to join forces to kill Spider-Man. Venom holds Mary Jane as bait from a web high above a construction site, while Harry and Marko keep the NYPD at bay. Harry then impales Peter with his glider, killing him after Mary Jane falls to her death. Harry, Brock, and Marko then leave to start a new life with Brock deciding to join the FBI to protect people as a federal agent and by night as a vigilante killing criminals who terrorize New York City since Eddie knows what it is like to suffer due to what Peter did to him. Special Agent In Charge Tammy Hattley then welcomes Eddie into the FBI. Cast * Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker/Spider-Man * Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson * James Franco as Harry Osborn/The New Goblin * Thomas Haden Church as Flint Marko/Sandman * Topher Grace as Eddie Brock/Venom * Bryce Dallas Howard as Gwen Stacy * Rosemary Harris as May Parker * J. K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson * Theresa Russell as Emma Marko * Dylan Baker as Dr. Curt Connors * Bill Nunn as Robbie Robertson * Elizabeth Banks as Betty Brant * Perla Haney-Jardine as Penny Marko * Willem Dafoe as Norman Osborn * Cliff Robertson as Ben Parker * Elya Baskin as Dr. Ditkovitch: * Mageina Tovah as Ursula Ditkovich * Michael Papajohn as Dennis Carradine